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Patrick Dowd/trails
Questions and Answers from Stonewall Dems in Feb 2009 Name of Candidate: Patrick Dowd Office Sought: Mayor Campaign Contact name: James Fogarty, 412.915.6215 Phone Number: Fax: 636.246.4809 Email address: dowdforpittsburgh@gmail.com Please list any receptions, events, parades or other functions that you have attended that were sponsored by an LGBT group or organization: 2008 Pride Rally, various meetings of Gertrude Stein Club and Steel City Stonewall Democrats. Describe your familiarity with Greater Pittsburgh's LGBT Community. I have attended political meetings, worked with GLSEN, at the school board and on City Council as well as the Gertrude Stein Club, attended social events, and have many friends who are members of the LGBT community. As Mayor, I will enact policies that foster the growth of our City’s out LGBT Community. What is your position on hiring LGBT people? Should LGBT people be hired in the public sector? I believe the LGBT community should be represented in every sector, including government. I have and will continue to hire qualified people regardless of their sexual orientation. Would you hire an openly LGBT person on your staff? Yes The Federal Government, the State nor the County Government have laws that offer protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in employment, housing or public accommodations. Would you support legislation against such discrimination? Yes Please discuss your views on amending the law to include such protections on real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and gender expression. Discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation should not be allowed under the law. I have supported anti-discrimination laws at Council, including Domestic Partner legislation. LGBT citizens are also discriminated against by the government. "Don't Ask Don't Tell" not only stops LGBT citizens from serving openly in the military, it also encourages anti-gay harassment in stopping victims from reporting harassment by labeling it as "telling" under the policy. Would you vote to end “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy”? Gay and Lesbian Servicepersons deserve to be accorded the same respect given to other members of our armed forces. As the Mayor, while I will not have power to directly change the policy, I do not agree with it. In addition, Hospitals often refuse to discuss end-of-life issues with same-sex partners and GLBT senior citizens are often discriminated against by health providers who fail to recognize their relationships. Would you support government regulations that would stop this discrimination? Yes. Victims of same-sex domestic violence face a fear that police and emergency responders will not respond appropriately when the couple is the same sex and LGBT people face discrimination by emergency services personnel. For example, preoperative transgender people may be afraid to call emergency services for fear of being ridiculed. If elected, what would you do to help eliminate this problem? All of our citizens should feel comfortable to utilize the services of our first responders. I will ensure that management policies and procedures require the fair and humane treatment of all citizens regardless of gender, gender identity, orientation, race or socioeconomic background. Do you support domestic partner benefits for government and governmental agency employees? Yes Discuss your thoughts on marriage equality for same-sex couples; while the position you seek may not directly affect this issue, it is important for us to understand your perspective. I am a strong supporter of marriage equality for all couples. Over the past decade, government money has been used to promote “abstinence-only-until-marriage” programs in schools. Even though same-sex couples still cannot legally marry in Pennsylvania, to qualify for government support, schools must teach that any sexual relationships outside of marriage is “likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects.” Do you support or oppose abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula? Oppose Discuss your thoughts on government's role in shaping school curricula for sex education, including comprehensive education that advocates for safe sex and the use of condoms and birthcontrol. Many of you may be familiar with my work on the Pittsburgh Board of Education, where I served from 2003 until 2007 as a representative of District 2. I am a strong supporter of a seriously revamped, comprehensive, and high quality health and sex education program for the Pittsburgh public schools, and worked with my colleagues on the Board and the Superintendent’s office to make certain that would happen. It is an absolutely critical piece of the District’s High School reform effort. For too long, we have allowed our graduates to pass through the doors of our buildings without giving them the tools to make informed choices. As Mayor, I will continue to speak out on providing the City’s youth with the information they need to be fully informed members of our citizenry. Please note that the Board of Education will soon pass a new curriculum. Do you have any thoughts on the formation of gay-straight student alliances within the public school systems? Gay-straight student alliances are a great way to increase student confidence and comfort around issues of sexuality and sexual orientation. Please discuss your views on protection from real, or perceived, discrimination in the schools and in school extra-curricula activities regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and gender identification, including bullying. Anti-bullying and teacher training curricula should include specific training related to issues of sexual orientation and gender and our schools should strive to be a welcome place for all students. Do you support needle exchange as a way of reducing new HIV infections in IV drug users? Support If elected, what would you do about this issue? City government should obtain real data where concentrations of intravenous needle drug use in the City are so that we can best target them with needle exchange and other intervention programs. Do you support inclusion of LGBT people within the official Democratic Party structure, including official representation on the county, state and national levels? Support If elected, what would you do about this issue? It’s important for the Democratic Party to talk about reform and inclusion. Too often the party in Western PA is focused only on winning elections without trying to determine how to build the party, educate voters about diversity, and recruit more progressive candidates to public office. Have you ever supported an openly LGBT person running for public office? Do you believe a person's sexuality or gender identity and expression should stop them from running for public office? Yes. It should never stop anyone from running. If elected, what outreach would you do to the LGBT business community to encourage their participation in community planning and economic development? I would ensure that business owners from all communities are represented in conversations about our various business districts, whether these conversations take place in the Department of Planning or at the URA. Community input and competitively-bid contracts would be a cornerstone of my administration’s planning policies. Currently, both locally and statewide, GLBT citizens are underrepresented on Boards and Commissions. Would you advocate on behalf of qualified GLBT citizens who are interested in appointments? Yes. What are your views on the rights of LGBT people to competently and professionally delivered governmental and government-fund services and the need for culturally competent training for government employees? For example, requiring drug and alcohol agencies to not discriminate against LGBT clients? All citizens, including LGBT people, deserve to receive the highest quality service from government agencies funded by their tax dollars. Discrimination of any kind in publicly funded agencies controlled by the City of Pittsburgh will not be tolerated in my administration. Both the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh ("GLCC") and Persad (for more information about these organizations, click http://www.glccpgh.org/Home.aspx and http://www.persadcenter.org/index.htm) are in need of new location. Considering the roles that the GLCC and Persad have as a cultural destinations, public forums and free public sites open to all, who provide public health education & HIV testing, would you be willing to provide political support and work to find sources of funding from the City, County and/or their subsidiary redevelopment agencies in their current search for a new location? Support If elected, would you be willing to meet with representatives of the GLCC, Persad, SCSD and other concerned members of the community to discuss the issue? Yes. Another divisive issue confronting our country is the issue of abortion. Please discuss your position on abortion and any thoughts you have on the current abortion debate. I am a staunch supporter of a woman’s right to choose. What other endorsements have you received? Are you supported by any unions? As I have just launched my campaign, I have not yet solicited any other endorsements. I will be seeking endorsements from other organizations and unions in the coming days. If you are endorsed by Steel City Stonewall Democrats, will you display it on your campaign literature, when possible and appropriate? Yes As a candidate, some of the issues raised in this questionnaire may be new to you. If elected, would you be willing to work with Steel City Stonewall Democrats and other representatives of the LGBT community to create a better understanding of the needs and issues confronting us? Yes Are there particular areas of concern that you have that we have not addressed? No Is there anything else you would like to add? Transformative times require vision and leadership. Today, more than ever, Pittsburgh deserves a mayor who can look to the future and lead through hard work, careful listening and a willingness to make the tough decisions. I, therefore, pledge that as mayor I will dedicate every day in office to reversing population decline in Pittsburgh. I will end every work day able to answer the question, "What did you do today to grow Pittsburgh?" I pledge to increase the number of companies started here and operating here. Generations ago the creativity and hard work of our people built the great industries and businesses of the twentieth century. Today, there are men and women here in Pittsburgh working tirelessly to build small businesses and launch entrepreneurial projects. Despite their creativity and labor, this region has one of the very lowest rates of start-up creation. We must reverse that trend and city government must be an engaged and strategic partner in the effort. City government must make certain that tax rates do not adversely affect businesses and start-ups. City government must also actively and strategically recruit industry clusters as a way to attract and hold population. We need new and innovative businesses alongside those that have been here for a century so that we do not have to watch our children move away. For Pittsburgh to thrive, city government must encourage people to migrate to and invest in our community. We need a city government actively recruiting people, and I pledge to be a tireless advocate for the region luring individuals and companies from Europe, Canada, and Latin America. Every other thriving metropolis in this country has a growing population of immigrants who are staffing and starting new and innovative companies that create good paying jobs. It is time Pittsburgh join that trend. No one will locate here if taxes are unpredictable or too burdensome. I pledge to put Pittsburgh's financial house in order. First, we must establish an honest picture of the revenues and expenditures associated with running our city's government. Next, we will have to align those two with our vision for the future of Pittsburgh. This will require difficult choices. I have a record of doing just that. Now, some will argue that we cannot achieve financial stability without taxing non-profits or more resources from Harrisburg. As I have said for years, city government must show that it can help itself before turning to others. Pittsburgh must become a safer city both in reality and in perception. I pledge that as mayor I will get tough on crime and that I will dedicate my days to driving the rates of murder and violent crimes toward zero. Again, some will argue that this is impossible, especially without more resources from the state. Again, I say city government must show that it can responsibly help itself before turning to higher authorities. We must carefully plan for the future. Over the last few years, this administration has systematically undermined the function and importance of the Department of City Planning. The end result has been the decentralization of planning and less focus on the public good. If we are to grow small businesses, jobs and population we must plan for the future by making sure that we utilize existing and available space, filling in businesses and people to build urban density and vitality. We have to stop using public dollars to support development projects that benefit only the developers. Finally, we need to guarantee that our rivers are the envy of the world, both aesthetically and functionally. Throughout history, Pittsburgh's reputation has been built on its rivers and the same must be true for this generation. This is the Pittsburgh we want. Now is the time for vision and leadership. I humbly ask for your support in this endeavor. Signature of candidate and date signed: /s/ Patrick Dowd (electronic signature)